Tweets -

While tearing around running errands today I saw up to 19 Trumpeter
Swan on the north end of Black Lake - 17 adults and 2 juveniles.
Details below.

As usual, there is a lot of coming and going to/from the north end of
the lake. Cormorants commute to here from the salt water inlets to the
north. Waterfowl commute between the north and south ends of the lake
(morning duck hunting on the south end is now in season, and they tend
to drift back there as the day wears on), and 'tween here and other
local ponds and lakes, plus the estuaries.

For those of you who want to check this out, from US 101 in west
Olympia, go south on Black Lake Boulevard; in a shade more than 2.0
miles (just past a major power line) turn left (east) on Black Lake -
Belmore road, and in another 0.1 mile (immediately past the Black Lake
Drainage Ditch bridge) pull off onto the right shoulder.

This report was mailed for Doug Canning by http://birdnotes.net

Date: December 31, 2008
Location: Black Lake, Thurston County, Washington

Observing at the north end of the lake twice (1036 to 1055 and 1338
to 1350), plus four drive-bys.

Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) 19 [1]
American Wigeon (Anas americana) 240 [2]
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) 1 [3]
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) 60 [4]
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 1 [5]
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 14 [6]

Footnotes:

[1] 17 adults, 2 juveniles at 1340 (15 + 2 at 1040)
[2] 240 at 1040; 175 at 1340.
[3] Seen only at 1340.
[4] 60 at 1040; 25 at 1340.
[5] Seen only at 1340.
[6] 14 at 1040; 9 at 1340.

Total number of species seen: 6

*******************
Douglas Canning
Olympia, Wash
dcanning at zhonka.net
*******************